Abstract

      Since milk is a high nutrition food, it is extremely liable to microbiological contamination. Maximum hygiene in mechanical milking and in health practices management throughout the production process is necessary so that the quality of crude milk is guaranteed. Current research comprises the collection of milk in milk-producing farms during April, May and June 2009 so that the microbiological safety of milk produced in the municipality of Amargosa BA Brazil may be verified. Results show that crude milk samples are unsatisfactory due to the presence of 9.68 and 35.48% of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis, respectively; 12.74% of Staphylococcus aureus, 18.26% of entero-bacteria, 12.5% of Candida albicans, 7.5% of Candida krusei, 10% of Candida tropicalis and 42.5% of other types of Candida. It is mandatory that sanitary education should be provided to milk-producing farmers so that the microbiological quality of milk could be improved.

Key words: Crude milk, microbiology, entero-bacteria, fungi.